5 Reasons Gaming is More Accessible than Ever

More and more people are gaming. While this pass-time was originally reserved only for those you would consider nerds, today, it’s as mainstream as it gets. One of the reasons behind this massive increase in gaming’s popularity is the fact that it’s more accessible than ever before.

Just to clarify, when we say gaming, we intend to cover all forms of gaming, including iGaming and online luck-based games. We also won’t be exclusive to a single point (that’ll actually be a big item on this list).

With all of that in mind, and without further ado, here are the top five reasons why gaming today is more accessible than ever.

1. It’s technically accessible

One of the best things about modern gaming is just how available and accessible it is. There are games for virtually any console, and the majority of games have a version for each of these consoles.

In the past, you had to own a decent PC, which wasn’t cheap, and if you owned a console, you were restricted only to these exclusives. Now, this is no longer the case.

This is even without getting into the entire field of iGaming, where you get access to real-money games without having to go to the casino. Not only is this cheaper (no commute and easier to limit your spending), but it’s also very convenient. After all, you don’t have to leave the chair to play.

For a lot of people, gambling games were fun but they disliked the idea of being seen at the casino. Well, with the modern technical accessibility, not even that is a problem. Indeed, the best part is that you can do it almost entirely anonymously. Playing anonymously, especially without ID verification as part of the process, means you don’t have to upload copies of your ID documents or bank statements to start playing, lowering the barrier of entry. 

2. Indie games are often lighter on hardware requirements

At one point in the past, each gaming developer did their best to push for the latest GPU and CPU benchmarks. They found pride in their games being able to run on ultra only on the latest rigs and agreed to nothing less than that. Sure, a part of this was due to the push for higher photorealism, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. More likely than not, they did it for the prestige.

Today, this field is dominated by indie developers who value creativity above photorealism. There’s an entire genre of boomer shooters where a game developed in 2024 is pixelated and has some of the old-school (the original Wolfenstein, Doom, and Duke Nukem-like) gameplay/mechanics.

The thing is that these developers are deliberately working on older engines and game-makers in order to simplify the development process, play more strongly on the nostalgia card, and even increase their player base. That’s right when you lower game requirements, you unlock a whole new portion of gamers who would otherwise be unable to play. 

Now that the AAA game developers have seen that they “don’t have to” make games that are unplayable for people who paid less than $2,000 for their PC (a fact that they previously forgot), they’re lowering their requirements, as well.

Not only that, but consoles lag behind PCs when it comes to graphics, and it’s important that every new release is playable (and looks decent) on consoles as well. This further reduces the average requirement benchmarks and makes video games more accessible. 

3. It’s incredibly cost-effective

Video games are incredibly cheap, but even if they weren’t, there are so many great sales out there. If you’re on Steam, you know that a few weeks can’t pass without a major sale, with some games being up to 90% off. This brings an AAA game down to the cost of a single latte you would drink at Starbucks. 

However, when it comes to the cost of games, it’s important to put things into the right perspective. Even if you factored in the cost of a high-end gaming PC or the latest-gen console and paid for all the games without any discount, it would still be worth it. 

How so? 

Well, just think about any other hobby and compare it. Take a weekend of clubbing, for instance. What is the cost, and how many hours do you get out of it? Then, take a game that you’ve bought on Steam, go to playtime, and try to get the average. 

Now, some games are notoriously plagued with microtransactions; the truth is that even these games are playable without having to spend too much money on them. 

If everything above didn’t convince you, consider the fact that some of the most popular games in the world are free to play. Games like CS: GO, Fortnite, League of Legends, etc., are completely free, with an option to pay for cosmetic upgrades. Most importantly, these games, due to their competitive nature, have infinite replayability. They’re also fairly decently optimized, even on a bit weaker hardware.

4. It’s socially acceptable

The last part is really important to consider, which is the fact that there’s no more social stigma about playing video games. The adults are playing it, the cool kids are playing it, and the hot girls are gamers in 2024.

In fact, the gaming culture has penetrated popular culture so deeply that some of the most common shows out there are either anime-based or video-game-based. The Witcher series is a perfect example. While the original story is based on the books, the truth is that Netflix is riding hard on the hype generated by the video game trilogy.

One of the reasons why this is the case is mostly due to the advancements in mobile gaming (that everyone has nowadays). The thing is that, for a lot of people, mobile gaming is a gateway into console gaming and PC gaming.

Moreover, due to photorealism, the games in question offer a much more movie-like experience. It takes a lot of imagination to imagine a grey pixel as a castle, a yellow pixel as a fire bolt, and a green pixel as a dragon. It doesn’t take much imagination to see a life-like version of any of these phenomena and recognize them.

For modern generations, online video games are a form of socialization. Instead of playing basketball, they play a bit of Fortnite after school. 

Gaming, as a cultural phenomenon, is stronger than it ever was in the future, and this makes more people open up to it. 

Gaming is more accessible than it ever was in the past

Today, we live in a set of conditions that’s perfect for the evolution and expansion of gaming. First of all, video games are inexpensive, and their graphics requirements are nowhere near what they were in the past. Second, the concept of gaming itself is no longer seen as something nerdy or immature. After all, Henry Cavil is a gamer, so how can you argue that it is not cool?